She's Gone
by cherryslinger3
Summary: A modern AU, set in a world where the underground is a dark and twisted world full of magic and supernatural capabilities. Our story opens up on Lucy, a broken girl with nothing but her spirits and charms to keep her company. Follow her as she crosses America with an unlikely hero, meeting dark and light mages alike, to join up with the notorious guild Fairy Tail! (mature readers)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

well this is a teaser chapter for an up and coming story i'm working on. i refuse to list any pairings, but this is a modern Fairytail AU **with **magic and supernatural themes! I never see anyone do stuff like this, but here goes. hope you all like the prologue! love cherry

**She's Gone**

**prologue**

She sat quietly, hidden amongst the tall grass, munching on the strawberries now growing wild in the nearby garden. Besides her mother's grave, this was the only spot she truly felt safe and at home. Taking a sip of sweet tea from the mason jar between her legs, she peeked above the swaying grass at the green rolling Oklahoma hills.

Everything was silent, besides the lowing of nearby cows and the occasional truck bouncing down the distant dirt road, and she watched the rushing wind ripple the tall grass like small silvery waves. To the north, past the tiny trailer she called home, she could see black cumulus clouds rolling in, and figured she'd better head back soon. But knowing what awaited her made her linger longer in the wild grass.

"You're only as good as the check I get every month girl." Her dad had said only hours earlier. He made it a point to constantly remind her of the only reason she was allowed under his roof- the security of a bigger disability check. Even though the railroad said they'd pay for whatever was necessary to get him back to work, the man favored having free time to drink and live off the inadequacies of the government. And having free time to control most of his daughter's life. He'd smack her, spitefully reminding her of her petite frame and impending 18th birthday, when he'd toss her out flat on her ass. After years of being smacked down, she'd learned to keep silent and keep her head down. If the man had ever loved her, she didn't know. Even while her mama lived he'd always held her at an indifferent distance. Then when his wife had her untimely passing, the blonde hair and chocolate eyes of his daughter was a bitter taunt of the woman who had left him behind.

"Lucy!" the girl's head whipped in the direction of her neighbor's voice, and smiled at the sight of the elderly lady standing on her sagging front porch.

"Girl get on over here!" the woman hollered when she finally caught a flash of platinum hair between long blades of grass. Lucy stood, dusting off her jean shorts, and holding her mason jar ambled over to the woman.

"Yes maam?" Lucy tugged on the long sleeves of her v-neck, eager to cover the tell-tale marks of her father's drunken rampage the previous night, and hoped Beth hadn't seen. Unconsciously the woman's eyes hardened slightly, angered that such a large man thought it okay to lay hands on his much smaller daughter, but outwardly she pretended she hadn't seen.

"It's gettin awfully windy out. You best go home and take shelter," Beth said, tucking a stray silver lock behind her ear, "Looks like that storm's fixin to rip us a new one." Both girls shot a worried glance at the horizon. Lucy nodded and turned before Beth's voice made her pause.

"Your birthday's coming up soon isn't it?" The elder woman asked. Lucy nodded once more and saw Beth mentally fishing for her next words. Folk around here were quiet, kept their problems to themselves behind closed lips and closed doors. And if you knew about it, you didn't say anything. Tight-lipped and tight-minded is what Lucy's mama had always said. Lucy's mama was always such a sharp witted woman, and Lucy was almost identical to Layla. Beth smiled fondly at the memories Lucy's face invoked- that trailer had seen happier days.

"Well I know you'll need someplace to stay, once 18 rolls around-" and Lucy blushed in embarrassment at her situation "- And you're more than welcome to stay here darlin." The older lady finished, and watched as Lucy's face brightened momentarily before falling.

"Oh I couldn't be a burden..." Lucy trailed off- _don't take a cent you haven't earned, _her dad's voice hissed in her head. Ironic that he was receiving money he had no right getting.

"Oh honey it wouldn't be a burden." Beth chuckled lightly, before dropping it. Lucy hadn't always been like this, beaten down and meek. The girl had spitfire racing through her blood, just like her mama. One day, Beth hoped she'd discover that inner strength and free herself.

"Thanks Beth. I'll think about it." Lucy smiled slightly before walking away with a light wave. Beth sighed. They both knew she wouldn't. Leaving behind her sanctuary, Lucy jogged down the dirt road to her house, her hair whipping wildly around her face. Thunder boomed deeply, echoing through the darkening skies, and Lucy picked up her pace. This wasn't just a normal storm- it had tornado written all over it. A faint engine whir made her decelerate in her jog. Ahead she saw a truck kicking up dust further down the road, and it slowed as it approached. The boy behind the beat up Ford rolled down the driver side window before flashing the blonde a toothy grin.

"Hey Luce." He said with familiarity, and Lucy couldn't help but smile at the thought of the night they spent together a year back.

"Hey Cliff, what are you doing this far out?" Lucy asked, leaning on the driver's side door. The warning thunder sounded out once more and both teens looked at the storm closing in.

"Just heading out to Tim's to help with bailing hay, but looks like that'll have to wait." He responded gesturing to the chaotic sky. Tim was the very friend who had hooked the two up in the first place.

"Hey, so you gonna be at Nicole's party tomorrow night?" Cliff asked, trying to be polite despite knowing the answer.

"If I can sneak away from him." Lucy laughed somberly, and Cliff didn't even have to ask. "Him"- the reason they'd never worked out in the beginning, and the reason Cliff now had a scar above his right brow.

"Yeah, well I'll see you around Lucy. Call me so we can do somethin for your birthday." Cliff grinned, before sweeping a hand through his short brown hair. Lucy was always the special one he let get away. She was the small town girl who stole his virginity and his heart. If he'd had his way Lucy would still be his, but after the altercation between he and her father last year, Lucy begged Cliff to leave her be for the sake of his own safety. But soon, she'd be out of the damned house, and then maybe if she were willing he could take a shot at seeing her again.

"Sure Cliff." Lucy waved before he pulled away, flashing his goofy smile. _That boy... _She smiled, but was jolted from her thoughts by an echoing boom. She better get home quick. When she finally reached her front yard, the plastic lawn chairs had been forcefully blown from their perch on the front porch and Lucy didn't even bother to put them right. _Not that it matters, he'll get drunk again and send those back to where they are right now. _She stepped quietly through her front door, and flinched when the tin screen door slammed on it's hinges.

"Girl! Where you been?" A raucous noise came from the living room as bottles clattered to the wood floor. Uneven footsteps shuffled across the boards, and the red-faced man Lucy called her dad stood before her. He was past his swaying state - he was belligerent. She tried to back up, but fell roughly to the floor when pain erupted across her cheek. He was always so heavy handed. She tasted blood, and stared up at the glowering man above her.

"Bet you were whoring around with that boy again huh? Could never keep your legs closed." He sneered, before bringing a half empty amber bottle to his lips. Lightning flashed outside.

"If your mama could only-" He began, his mean eyes glaring down in disgust at his daughter.

"- Don't you talk about mama!" Lucy yelled before covering her mouth in fear- big mistake. She was harshly ripped to her feet and flung into a nearby wall, making picture frames rattle. Her head smacked the wood hard, and Lucy tried to make sense of her surroundings. The thunder outside boomed, turning the violent thud of blood in her head to muffled beats.

"Your mama was ten times the woman you'll ever be," the drunk man spat, "You get your shit and get the hell out." He stalked away, and Lucy heard his heavy footsteps recede back into the living room. She couldn't imagine what had set his temper off; she'd returned earlier than she normally did in the summer. He didn't have to hunt her down to get her home. Shakily standing, she made herself small, and quietly walked to her tiny room. Thunder quaked the small home and Lucy's blood ran cold at the sight that greeted her. Ripped gold-leaf paper everywhere- thrown atop her now messy bed, perched awkwardly on her rickety vanity. The man must've found her passed down diary, one of the only things she had left of her mother's, and read Lucy's entries. He probably knew about most of her deepest secrets now, if not everything. Lucy slowly knelt before what was left of the bound book and fingered her mother's delicate writing with remorse.

'To my Lucy, just like my mother did for me, I want to leave this diary to you as well. Take time to write down your dreams, your hopes, your prayers, and know wherever I am that I love you. Make your dreams come true, your hopes become fact, and your prayers become truth. Love always, your mama,' the inscription said, written in precise shorthand below Lucy's grandma's own dedication. Lucy sniffed, trying not to cry at her father's cruelty, as she went around her room and grabbing all that she had left of her mother's thoughts. Her mother's worries during her pregnancy, the poems she lovingly wrote for Lucy, and all the hopes she had for her growing child. Some pages were ripped beyond repair, but Lucy carefully collected those pieces as well. The wind howled outside, and Lucy focused on the noises of the rolling storm, trying to drown out her inner turmoil. Instead she held tight to the hatred that swirled deep in her gut, spurring her on, pushing her to calmly and thoroughly go through her mental checklist of what she needed. She'd have time to grieve later. But for now she needed to take care of herself. She hated that man. Wished that man dead.

Lucy stood somberly, the papers clasped in an ice cold grip, as she stared around her room. Testaments of a happier childhood, crowns and sashes from beauty pageants, pictures of her with her mom and her old dog Toby, gave way to her ill-spent teen years. She held on to her memories, just like she held on to her childhood relics- it was the only solid things she had to anchor her down to the dry Oklahoma dirt. But she wasn't a child anymore. She hadn't been since her mother passed, the only thing standing between she and her father's spite. With a sore head she thought of the damning birthday only 3 weeks away- while she was scared to be out in the world without even a bed to come home to, it couldn't come soon enough. She was ready to leave it all behind.

So she packed swiftly- grabbing the only nice outfits she had- as well as her traveling leather jacket and boots, and the $450 she had saved from work at the corner cafe for such an occasion. She tenderly pulled the picture of the 8 year old blonde girl posing with her pre-sick mama from the cheap picture frame, and along with her ripped pages placed it in the wooden keepsake box Cliff had given to her last summer.

Suddenly Lucy spun around, anger and dread sweeping through her body. _Please tell me he didn't... _No, there it was. Lucy bent down with a sigh of relief at the sight of her mother's bracelet laying half hidden under a pillow. She tied her mother's charm bracelet around her wrist, glad it had escaped her father's wrath, before slinging her full duffel bag over her shoulder. This was it. Almost 18 years gone. Lucy didn't know whether to feel sick or excited. She should feel sick she knew- she was leaving the home her mama had raised her in. But her mama wasn't here anymore, she didn't fill this trailer. Her father's face full of rage flashed through her head and Lucy made up her mind. She would leave with dignity and righteous anger. She would take nothing from him but her own presence. She turned and paused in her exit from her room when the piercing sound of distant sirens reached her ears. Her blood chilled at the eerie noise. _A tornado has touched down. Take shelter. _The wailing screeched. In her eagerness to pack Lucy hadn't noticed the creaking of the mobile home as the fierce wind pushed and pulled. But now it was all too obvious.

She rushed down the hall, in a hurried panic to wake her dad out of routine and take shelter when something tugged at her gut. She stopped before the snoring man passed out on the couch, his hand gripping a whiskey bottle, and felt that insistent tug on her bruised and beaten heart. Hate. The past 5 years flashed before her eyes- his fury filled face dominating most of it. Lucy couldn't find it in herself to care about the fate of the man laying before her. Was it so horrible that she should walk away? _Run... _Her mama's voice was whispering in her ear. Lucy tried to ignore the word, but found the outcome so appetizing. The voice got louder, refusing to let the tornado sirens and screaming wind drown her out. _Run Lucy... run like the wind. _She would. With unfeeling determination, Lucy turned and calmly walked away, leaving behind the man who had a hand in creating the monster Lucy was turning into. She was emotionless as she strode away from the only life Lucy ever knew, her mama's insistent voice pestering her to move faster. But no, Lucy would take her time, savor this with cold malice. All those hits, all those words, it all dwindled down to this very moment.

She didn't bother to close the back screen door, and was nearly thrown back by the force of the gales. So close. She fought through the dirt and debris flying through the air to the dank cellar, and flung the trapdoor open. Staring down into the darkness, she could see her mother smiling with open arms. She peered back at the shuddering mobile home, angry clouds and approaching tornado not far beyond, and knew the man inside would sleep on without her to wake him. As he should.

Lucy allowed herself a last rueful smile, content at the deciding end to her old life, and slammed the door down above her. The lock snapped shut and Lucy sat protected in the dark. Outside the wind picked up to a furious keen, the thunder drowning out the distant sirens. _Safe, safe, safe... _her mother murmured softly, making Lucy smile as she watched the small slit of light spilling in through the tiny crack darken above her. And as heavy and small debris alike pelted the heavy wooden door, Lucy took her revenge amidst the shelter of her mother's embrace like a silent prayer. Let the wind blow it all away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

okay, so im sure some of you connected the dots like leoslady4ever, and realized how much the prologue reminds you of Carrie Underwood's song Blown Away. ding ding, it inspired the beginning of this song, as i thought it'd be a unique way to describe Lucy's orphanage-ing lol new word right there... anyways, here's chapter 1! i feel bad cause i posted this before my other updates, but oh well! im really enjoying how this story is going so far, so hopefully it picks up and people can enjoy reading it too. in this chapter you'll see some of how Lucy's power works in this AU. any lyrics used are strictly my own and not plagiarized. but as always i own none of hiro's characters or fairytail. wellp enjoy! love cherry

**She's Gone**

Chapter Two: Going West?

Lucy didn't look back when she passed the wreckage she once called home. She didn't even stop to search for her dad's body amongst the ruin. _He can lay in the bed he made. _She knew she should've felt sorrow, remorse and guilt even, at the loss of her father, but all she felt was sorrow for the life she could've had. For the man and father he could've been. But all he contributed to the world in the end was malice, pain, and a small boost in local alcohol sales. She had no regrets. What's done is done.

Instead, with her chin held high and canvas bag hanging off her shoulder she walked down the road, going wherever her feet led her. The clouds still rumbled above, no longer with angry threats, but with cleansing encouragement spurring her forward towards a new start. Lucy didn't give any more thought to the life she left behind, and as she approached her neighbor's driveway, couldn't help the feeling of hope that bubbled within. Beth had always been the grandmother she'd never had. Lucy and her mother would always visit the widow, staying for dinner and homemade pie when things got too tough at home. Lucy knew Beth was sincere in her offer to have Lucy come stay with her, as the woman had always been a sanctuary when Lucy needed to escape her father. So she walked onward down the dusty and debris littered road, as a small nagging began to surface.

Suddenly she felt restless, her mother severely whispering in her ear _Hurry hurry! _Making Lucy's stomach plummet wickedly. Her pace quickened as she began to run down the path. Lucy ignored the rubble on the driveway, ignored what her mind was telling her she'd see once she got over the hill. But Lucy ran faster, eager to prove her worried mother wrong. As she crested the hill she careened to a breathless stop. Spread out below her was one more victim of the tornado's destructive path. Lucy dropped her duffle bag and rushed down the dirt driveway to her family friend's destroyed home, her heart hammering against it's cage.

"Beth!" she shrieked, panic's icy fingers gripping her fast, as she approached the wreckage. Only the teetering flag pole stood, stubbornly fastened to the ground by cement. Lucy called out once more before clambering through the pile of broken siding, furnature, and glass. She caught sight of a pale hand jutting out from underneath part of the kitchen wall, a cordless phone still in Beth's grip. Lucy sucked in shallow gasps, praying and trying not to sob. Not caring about the glass slicing into her hands, Lucy pushed at the siding, adrenaline coursing through her veins. After much pushing, the thin wall finally came away, and Lucy dropped to her knees amidst the ruin. Her prayers would go unanswered once again.

"Oh Beth." Lucy wept as she cradled her friend's head in her lap. She tried to ignore the angry red gash that marred the older woman's elegant neck, and brushed the long silvery hair from Beth's face. Was this karma? Did God see fit to punish her for carrying through revenge that wasn't hers? Lucy just couldn't understand it- why did _Beth _have to die? As a born medium, she knew death was just another open door in the grand scheme of things, but she failed to grasp how it picked and chose who stayed and who went. She felt someone pet her hair, and almost thought she had seen a flash of blue from Beth's intact sundress. Should she bind Beth? Ask her to stay for just a while longer? Lucy knew it was selfish to ask the woman's shade to stay. She had earned her right to pass on and rest, but Lucy didn't want to be alone. She couldn't stand the thought of moving on without someone left to talk to.

Because as much as she hated to admit it, she'd noticed her mother's growing absence of late. Where once Layla was constantly watching over her daughter, taking up mostly silent guard, her visits were fewer and farther and in between. Her mother had only one foot in this world, the rest of her body wandering beyond for rest. Yes Lucy knew her mother's other spirit Ocirprain, who was bound by duty to their specific bloodline was always watching, but he was always so stoic and silent as was common with the Nordic demigods. Her mother said he angered the All Mother by being born a bastard of Odin, and was cursed to always wander the earth a spirit out of jealousy. So when he died, his spirit was forever tied to Maewin, Lucy's ancestor, the medium that bore his spirit onward. As such, he was a very grumpy man with goat horns, dagger like claws, and a mean looking face. Beth would be more lively, speaking softly in Lucy's ear, a constant companion because of her more recent passing. Lucy looked up at the shade before her and knew she'd have to act fast before Beth found her joy in the afterlife. Already she was fading.

"I'll only bind you for a little Beth..." Lucy promised as she hesitantly stood to leave the woman's cold body. Wiping her cheeks, she searched through the wreckage for anything to make into a binding charm, and came up empty. Sighing in annoyance she realized she'd have to pilfer the opal pendant from around the woman's bloodied neck. It was considered rude and almost sacrilage between mediums to take from the body during departure, but Lucy had little choice. She bent down, careful with her handling of the fragile chain, and tried not to gag when her hand came away more bloody than before. Not all of it her own, and in irritation she remembered her cut hands. That could wait. Lucy wiped the gemstone pendant off on her shirt before giving it a gentle kiss. Only for a little bit, she reasoned, and began the ritual of binding. A blood sacrifice, ground of the death's embrace, and the chant- more for tradition than anything. In reality the chant is to repeat the deceased's name, making them curious enough to stick around in order to hear what is being said about them, slowing their departure to the afterlife in order to fully complete the ritual. Lucy wrapped her untainted slashed hand around the gem and winced at the slight burn. It was working. She quickly stood and walked to the nearest bare spot of dirt, eager to finish the macabre rite, before scuffing up an area and dropping the pendant in the gouged earth. Lightly dusting dirt over the opal, she began muttering the song, mimicking it exactly as her mother had taught her. As she sang, she saw her mother began to twist and spin before her, each step carefully planted firmly with glee. Her daughter would grow to be a strong mage someday. If only she had lived long enough to tell her. To guide her. Now she'd have to work hard with Beth, tiring herself, hastening her ascent to the afterlife- all worth it to get Lucy to her ultimate destination.

_To death we go, _

_Tired and estranged,_

_With bated breath and slow,_

_Heart finally uncaged._

_Come thou quick,_

_Fly back once more,_

_Through veil thick,_

_Mine voice no longer ignore._

_Silent whisps and dark shadow,_

_Bright star and brilliant Sun,_

_Once more return Callow,_

_Your journey here is left undone. _

_Beth once more return,_

_The earth your resting plane, _

_In life help me learn,_

_Be death's mine eternal bane._

_Come thou quick,_

_Fly back once more, _

_Through veil thick,_

_Mine voice no longer ignore._

_Friend in life,_

_Friend in death,_

_Be mine protector,_

_Until mine end._

Still humming the tune, she watched in bittersweet joy at the way her mother danced around her, never missing a beat to the mutually common ballad. Death's song, her mother had called it. She said death couldn't help but smile in favor at the woman who winkled it out of another tenant with such a clever tune. Thus, it allowed a bind to occur. Of course the lyrics itself were only a couple hundred years old, but the tune her mother said, was timeless and archaic. Passed down for generations from the first Shade Monger. _A charmer, a vixen, foxes we are. Thieves of death._ Whatever we wished to be called was our own choice, but the modern label for Lucy was medium, and that's all she needed. The binding was over when the tune ended after she unearthed the pendant, and she looked up, Beth's ethereal form dimming. Lucy almost panicked when her mother's words of wisdom came back to her.

_You'll think they left, but turn your eye, and you'll see them there in the corner. There I'll always be, until you call on me to fight. _Her mother had said while still living. Layla had also asked Lucy to bind her, but when she passed, Lucy loved her mother too much to take away the freedom of such a choice. So instead she took her mother's bracelet- to keep her near, but never in her command. Even now she could see her mother grasp Beth's hand in a warm welcome. Both smiled down at the blossoming woman on her knees, before sliding from view. But Lucy turned her eyes, and there they were still. There they'd always be.

As she stood, ready to leave it all behind, she could hear happy murmurs carry away from her on the wind. Lucy left Beth's body to be found by the authorities, and sadly realized no one would be at the station to claim the body. They were all each other had. With a new sense of purpose, Lucy strode away from the mess, feeling gentle pushing on her back. She knew family was guiding her. She'd be alright. She'd make it somehow. The storm above was beginning to quiet.

"Is this gonna be it?" The gas clerk asked sourly from behind the counter. His customer only nodded in response, before paying and swiftly taking his leave. Raven-haired and mean, the young man quietly sauntered towards his black Harley. He sat down roughly on the seat, before popping the top on his tall boy of amber ale. _Damn heat. This place would be perfect for flame-head. Fucking fag. _He was more than ready to be home in California. Where it was dry and kept to itself. Here, in the south, it was muggy, humid, and intimate. Everyone wanted to know the why, what, who, where and how of each and individual passing through. Here women were just as quick with their wit as their drawl was slow and sweet. And that could be dangerous to a man like him with a weakness for soft women. Taking a swig of his beer, he felt the cold hoppy liquid rush down his parched throat, not caring who saw him drink before riding. Let them stare. Although one stare in particular caught him off guard, and tried not to let the way they bored into his back bother him. He casually glanced around the small gas station parking lot and glared back at an unnerving curious set of chocolate brown eyes. The chick would be hot if she didn't look like a touch of crazy. The wrong crazy. The kind that talked to imaginary friends and drew circles in her head.

Crumpling the now empty can he thought on how long it'd been since he'd been laid. With a firm shake of his head he cleared away the thoughts the blonde across the way at the bench made him think. She was out of his league anyway. Probably some runaway heiress, trying to make a break for it because daddy took away her BMW for a week. She was probably pampered, innocent and naive, spoiled and stubborn. Not at all the kind of trouble a traveling stranger needed. But once more he shot her a quick glance, and couldn't help but admire the delicious curves leading up to a beautiful heartshaped face. And once more, those strangely addicting eyes were watching him, almost memorizing not just him but the space he took up. It unsettled him, almost even made him self-conscious. But a man like him didn't get self-conscious. So he stood to throw away the empty can and shrugged off her glance, hoping she'd get the memo and stop staring. As he leaned over the trash he debated drinking the other still waiting in his bag, and tried to clear his mind. Somehow the girl with the beautiful long blonde hair had wiggled into his head, throwing him off his usually solemn and sturdy attitude, and he wasn't used to any feelings of vulnerability. It almost made him sick. She had looked at him like she _knew _him. Inside and out, every dirty and hidden deed, but she didn't shirk away. Didn't look away in disgust. Just looked at him unapologetically like she knew and accepted him for it, like he couldn't be anything else but what she saw he was. What he really was. And that made his stomach turn. Who did this girl think she was? _Don't worry bub, she's just some chick you'll be leaving behind at this podunk gas station. _But those damn eyes- her knowing little smile- he wracked his brain trying to figure out their alluring effect and why he wanted to sit himself down next to her, if only to be near her.

Muttering to himself he turned back to his bike, to be greeted with those damn eyes once again, except they belonged to a body not 3 feet away. He had to force his hands to not fidget as she inched closer. How'd she manage to sneak up on him? He normally had an amazing conscious awareness about what went on around him.

"You're going west?" The blonde asked with a sweet drawl, before giving him a tentative smile. _Fuck me._

"Him." Beth murmured in Lucy's ear, and she felt her chin being turned towards the heated parking lot. Beth had to be kidding. A biker? With long black hair and piercings? _No thank you._

"I don't think so." Lucy mumbled before plopping down on the warm bench along the station wall. The couple hour walk from her hometown to that point had been tiring albeit uneventful. And the growing weight from her duffel bag only added to her fatigue. Already she was travel weary and it hadn't even been a whole day. But Beth urged her on, saying someone ahead would greatly help Lucy. But as Lucy glanced back at the somber-looking man gulping down a cold beer, she thought Beth must be crazy in the afterlife as well.

"That's him." And Lucy could barely see the woman cross her arms in annoyance.

"Beth you can't be serious!" Lucy strictly whispered. The man was drinking a beer for goodness sake- what, was water not good enough for him on a muggy day? Was he too _hard _for simple liquid? And he had to be driving a Harley of all things- but as Lucy ticked off her mental list she couldn't help but think he pulled off the bad boy look all too well. She gave up trying to look coy as she stared- she just couldn't help herself. Her eyes were tugged to him of their own accord, something within wakening at the thought of traveling with the man. Anxiety, fear, exhilaration, and something else she couldn't put her finger on. Reading his aura, she almost gasped from the size and complexity. This man had a lot of weight and past sins on his shoulders, not all of it by his choice. No wonder he was so grumpy and closed-off. He had every right- just like she did. Her eyes then swept down his toned torso, to the firm leather clad legs that straddled the beastly bike. Lucy could almost hear Beth snicker at Lucy's wandering eyes, but found that she didn't care.

Her eyes then drifted up to his face, and in embarrassment realized he had caught her staring. But the returning look of silent appraisal shocked her. He had lazily checked her out before his eyes narrowed in silent warning. Back off they said, before he finished off his beer. Heat rushed through Lucy's body at the thought of the dangerous man checking her out- none of it negative. Turning back to the water she held in her bandaged hands with humiliation at being caught, Lucy debated walking further down the road to hitchhike. And as if an answer she felt a firm nudge on her shoulder.

"Go! He'll be leaving!" Beth voicelessly urged impatiently, making Lucy sigh. _I must be insane to be listening to a spirit. _But Lucy's mom had always told Lucy to trust her spirit's instincts- they rarely steered their keeper's wrong. Lucy peeked over her shoulder, getting a quick glance at Beth's stern face, and realized her mother had disappeared again. As usual Ocirprain was gone, but Lucy had seen more of him in the past 5 hours than she had all her life. He must be worried about her, and it made her smile.

"Fine." Lucy grumbled as she stood and hefted her bag over her shoulder. She would have to make it clear later that this was by her choice, not under the shade's influence. Lucy, based off her own unique and strange draw to the man had chosen him as a traveling partner. The atmosphere around her calmed as Beth gave her silent approval, and Lucy searched for the studded man. Finding him at pump 4's garbage she slowly began to approach him, his oppressive presence almost acting as a shield. _This guy needs counseling _Lucy scoffed to herself, before remembering her place. He didn't know she knew, but, she knew.

"He's going west too." Beth breathed, and Lucy had to refrain from shushing her. It's not like the man could hear the shade. Lucy heard the man mutter as he turned, and she sucked in a quick breath as her stomach did flip-flops. If only her friends could see her now, she never talked to random strangers. And always got stage fright.

"You're going west?" She hopefully asked, and she watched him spew a surprised breath before getting his bearings. Up close Lucy could see how darkly handsome he was, and surprisingly felt herself calm slightly in his company. Exactly the opposite of what she was expecting. His studded brow knit together in a fierce glare, and Lucy observed him debate whether to answer her or shove her aside. He was very obviously at war with himself and some deeper desire.

"Your parents ever tell you to not talk to strangers?" He brusquely asked before brushing her aside rudely, trying to scare her off. Lucy huffed in frustration as he waltzed away, and she stubbornly followed him much to Beth's glee. Things were going as planned.

"Look I know you're going west," his eyebrows furrowed more, "And I need a ride. I'll pay you to take me as far as you can." Lucy almost pleaded. She wasn't above begging if she had to. The young biker fixed her with a scowl before tugging on his helmet. It was disconcerting to him that she knew his direction of travel.

"That's what buses are for," he chided in his deep voice, "don't go round asking people for rides." Lucy was about to retort before the blare of a revved engine cut her off. She watched as the grumpy biker pulled out of the busy gas station parking lot, and glared at his receding form headed towards the highway exit. Without looking down the road she knew he'd take the interstate.

"That went well." Lucy grumbled in annoyance, chastising Beth. But shades don't have to live with the consequences of their actions, so Beth only smiled back knowingly. Lucy would see in time. But instead she ignored the inquisitive glances of the various patrons going about pumping gas and stomped back to her seat at the bench.

"Just wait." the wind whisked Beth's words away as Lucy hunched over her recently opened bag of jerky. Today just wasn't getting better.

The unfamiliar road stretched in front of him, carrying it's travelers like a busy vein. He tried to focus on the asphalt in front of him, but his mind kept drifting back to the blonde at the gas station. Why, of all the nicer and mediocre people that were there did she have to walk up and ask him for a ride? What was she doing hitchhiking anyways? He was wrong about one thing- the girl wasn't some spoiled heiress. He could clearly read that in her eyes, the way she held herself. She was like him- alone and broken. Shaking his head he told himself he didn't care- just some girl he'd never see again. But that wasn't true either. She wasn't just some girl. And as the wind whipped by he realized what that strange pull that he had towards her was- she really was like him.

_Never leave our kind behind. We take care of our own, _his master had instilled in all his guildmates' heads. He could go back, offer her the ride she initially wanted, but what if she wasn't there? He'd be wasting his precious time and gas, while slowing down the trip that safety required he make quickly. As he rode, the girl's strange eyes and kind smile tugged on his heartstrings, or what was left of them. Some primal urge, a deeper need to go back and protect the girl made him squirm in his seat. It'd only been 5 minutes and already the feeling was becoming uncomfortable. He gave up the fight and growled, looking for the nearest exit. Now on his way back, the same unbearable tug he had been feeling for the past 10 minutes began to loosen the closer he got to the gas station. With displeasure he decided then and there he hated the draw mages felt towards one another. He had no idea why it was so strong this time, with this very girl, as he'd been able to bypass other nearby mages without so much as a blink. Whatever it was, he was sure the girl had felt it too. Why else had she gone out her of comfort zone to approach him?

"Beth I'm just going to go find a hotel. It's getting late." Lucy muttered under her breath, and was rewarded with a drop in the surrounding temperature. Beth was not happy.

"He's not coming back, so let's-" Lucy was interrupted by the roar of a jet black Harley careening quickly around the corner. In shock she watched it stop in front of where she sat, and ignored Beth's smug smirk from the corner of her eye. He was back? With grace the stern rider removed his helmet before snorting in derision.

"How far west do you need to go?" He grumbled begrudgingly, as if it wasn't his decision to come back for her at all. Lucy was beyond confused, and thought about a response. Beth had been right, but Lucy wondered what motive made the man change his mind. He didn't seem like the type to do it often. But something inside her kept screaming for her to do it, just go crazy and accept and ride off into the sunset with the mystery man.

"Why'd you come back?" Lucy questioned, trying not to admire the fierce burning in his eyes. His strangely reddish eyes. He clenched his jaw in frustration, before responding. He wasn't used to answering for himself.

"I could always leave again." He grumbled, gesturing back to the open road. Lucy shot him one more curious look through narrowed eyes. She really shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, and she could hear Beth whining for her to hurry and say yes before the guy up and left. But the very fact that he had come back made her suspicious. Still...

Lucy stood, and pulled the long strap of her pack over her chest. She took his now offered helmet from his extended hand and looked at the spot where she'd be sitting. She wasn't used to being so close to men, let alone strange handsome ones, and knew the beginning of the trip would be uneasy. And one glance at the man before her confirmed her suspicion that the feeling was mutual. He even managed a small grimace. _My god I'm not that bad... _

Little did Lucy know he was berating himself for giving into his weakness- sweet women in distress. As well as the stupid draw both were succumbing to at the moment. He watched her put on his helmet, and couldn't help enjoying the little fantasy that played out in his mind. _She'd look so damn hot wearing that helmet, straddling my bike in ONLY that helmet... Then maybe she can straddle... _Suddenly his fantasy was cut short when he felt awkward hands grip his shoulders for support. At contact, both felt shivers of attracted electricity bolt down their spines, neither wanting to admit to themselves how much they took pleasure in it. But only to himself did he think of how nice her body settled and pressed behind him felt. Her delicious smell overpowered his sensitive nose, and he breathed in the distinctly feminine perfume. It was heaven. Nothing like engine oil, chapped leather, cologne, and sweat. All woman. He turned to ask her name, but stopped at the sight of her mumbling to something over his shoulder. _Great- I picked up a genuine loony mage. _Feeling eyes on her, Lucy turned to sheepishly smile at the dark man in front of her.

"Umm what's your name?" She asked, embarrassed that he had caught her talking to Beth. _Of course he can't see what I see unless Beth let's him. _He just shook his head, determined to keep his nose out of whatever kind of crazy she was, before smoothing his long black hair and putting on his aviators.

"Gajeel." he grumbled, and the iron horses roared to life.


End file.
